Making Compost from Coffee and Paper

In this video, we use just coffee and paper to make beautiful soil in an 80-gallon tumbler compost bin.

[@swannoir7949]

Turning that tumbler reminds me of The Price is Right 😂

[@eddieable]

About to attempt the same with 1 ton of coffee and autumn leaves, backyards gonna smell like Starbucks

[@potato7173]

After watching this my local coffee shop is now saving their coffee grounds for my compost. Thanks for the tips .

[@composterrecycler]

Yay! so awesome. Thank you!!

[@compostingpete]

Amazing, happy composting!

[@josephr9930]

Good to see Eric Clapton composting👍

[@mercedesbenzs600bash]

Coffee grinds and shredded paper to make soil,simply amazing and the best part about the whole process is everything is FREE,really good video my man 🙏🏾

[@audas]

I compost coffee like this and it is soil within about 18 days. Coffee is sterile since it has been exposed to high temperatures well over 100c - hence why it is VERY slow to break down when mixed with other inorganic materials like paper. I heavily inoculate my compost pile with the mycelium of an active compost pile for immediate heat up. It may well have something to do with your tumbler as it is not on the ground where all the microbial action comes from to infect the pile itself. Also the tumbler is just shy of the 1 cubic meter the pile needs to be to fully heat up. Instead of paper I use saw dust or just chaff from roasting as you used. However as you discovered there was a lack of carbon and your compost slowed right down - my ratio is 1:1 or even higher of carbon. Plus a lot more water - I would be wetting the coffee and not just the paper - although yours appeared to gather water after 6 months. Finally after the first 4 days of heating turn the compost every 2 days and it should be done after 2 weeks - fully broken down.

[@composterrecycler]

wow! Nice Work

[@triciac1019]

I have learned that a three to one ration, compost to nitrogen works good.

[@gioknows]

That material would be great for a worm bin. The red wigglers would quickly turn that into real high quality worm castings. Great video, very well presented. Cheers from Ottawa, Canada🍁

[@compostingpete]

:)

[@cowboyblacksmith]

I was thinking the same thing, worms would eat that stuff like crazy.

[@mllokie9075]

Is what I am am doing right now my worms seem to just love it

[@bittypie]

I was thinking the same thing. Would the bin be too hot for the worms?

[@mllokie9075]

@@bittypie I just added a bin of nothing but coffee and coffee filters for my Euros and after a mine and half they seen happy but Teresa love the coffee

[@zachyates8440]

Shitake mushrooms grow great on a mixture of coffee grounds and cardboard.

[@colonagray2454]

Really? Nice thats a new one for me. I can manage that

[@bootstrapfarms4376]

Great video. I love being able to see the full process in one video.

[@compostingpete]

thank you 😄

[@domenickmilano]

Noticed that your house is also brown and green.👍😄

[@mauricebrown9094]

Where did you get that compost tumbler. Best one I have seen ever. Looks very strong..

[@compostingpete]

Maurice, I did a quick google check and it looks like this version might have been discontinued. There are a few out there. Cheapest was $160 put might not be something worth shipping. Here is what I searched to find "Lifetime Rotating Composter (80-Gallon)"

[@t.dig.2040]

Looks like the same one I have. In my 9 years of use, I have found the latches to be its weak point. I have dumped the batch a couple of times while turning. I find myself needing to constantly re-bend the spring shape back into the latch. Other than that, it has served me well.

[@NanaWilson-px9ij]

He's not composting, he's making a bucket collection!

[@triciac1019]

Its a good idea to have at least five different ingredients. This is as per the Berkeley method. It gives more variety of nutients. That looks so pretty.

[@7Risen7Phoenix7]

Impressive work. Simple, yet highly successful.

[@ryanarmishaw3305]

Great video! Thanks for the complete walkthrough. I have a small yard and my compost piles are taking over the usable space. This would be a great addition to my home veggie garden

[@composterrecycler]

Good luck Ryan, I know what you mean! I have probable 20 wheelbarrows of compost built up that I need to get out of the bins and onto the land.

[@compostingpete]

thank you 😌

[@sowgroweat6987]

Just subscribed, lovely getting a video that travels the full length of time . Interesting results thanks for sharing

[@philgurian868]

Great video, thank you for sharing.

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

Lovely stuff! I do something similar

[@LyNguyenTiVi]

Liệu giấy trắng tinh, giấy có in màu, giấy carton có thành phần hoá học không tốt khi ta trộn cho cây trồng hay không vậy anh?

[@HealthyLivingWithWendy]

Great video thanks for sharing ❤️

[@JohnHenrySheridan]

That's wonderful !

[@Tazzyone.]

Amazing. Loved the video. Just hit up my local starbucks and got 5 garbage bags of grinds for my 3 bins.

[@compostingpete]

yay!

[@HollyOak]

Great to see the whole process. That coffee chaff would be excellent for inoculation to use in bokashi.

[@The.Ghost.of.Tom.Joad.]

Nice to see someone else using paper. I build 4 or 5 piles a year using the rapid composting Berkely method. During the summer, after we're through the autumn leaves we set aside, I switch to shredded paper which I stockpile. Since the paper has such a high carbon content, it matches well with summer's profusion of greens, like grass clippings. Caveat: paper has a very high carbon content with near-zero nitrogen, so the best compost ratio is like 5 parts years trimmings to 1 part shredded paper. BTW, we also compost our coffee grounds (and tea bags, BTW), but our local Starbucks does not save their grounds for gardeners, sad to say so we miss out on a bulk high-nitrogen material.

[@aroberson3583]

It helps if you go to your local Starbucks and ask them if they will leave a bag of it out back behind the dumpster, after you have ordered a coffee. Get to know the employees and they will help you out.

[@The.Ghost.of.Tom.Joad.]

@@aroberson3583 My local Starbucks won't for whatever reason, and I'm pretty cool with them. They said their district manager said "no." They did not know why/ I tried speaking with the district manager with no luck, so I gave up.

[@wemuk5170]

@@The.Ghost.of.Tom.Joad.Try another cafe.

[@brianbassett4379]

My primary materials are a decade's worth of pinecones and needles, other yard waste including limited grass and leaves when available, cardboard and various paper, and food waste from two people. I run everything but the food scraps through an electric chipper/shredder twice before starting the composting process. The cardboard and paper come out larger than the shred you use but the coin-sized pieces are soft and fluffy to the touch. The pinecones and needle come out fine, almost powdery. Any suggestions on how to best process these ingredients?

[@Not_So_Weird_in_Austin]

Nice I collect grounds and make with plant and lawn trimming in a Geobin. The only thing missing is automatic turning which is what a shovel is for...

[@c.kainoabugado7935]

That's awesome!!

[@micaela6915]

Fun experiment I think I want to try this

[@KellieEverts-ss8uz]

I like that composter ...my Great Aunt had a (I forgot what they call it)...chopper digester in her sink ..which helped start degrating material .. and then at end of her garden ...she kept it all in a chicken wire holding encloser....was very very wormy and oxygenated.

[@nataliegist2014]

Thanks I’ve been looking foe this information

[@amysnipes4245]

Good job

[@melissajones9334]

YOU ROCK!

[@williamwoody7607]

How long does a composter like that last? Does it become brittle from sun exposure? Does the paper exclude the resulting compost from use in an organic garden? Does the heat rise enough to kill weed seeds?Really impressive work!Thanks!

[@compostingpete]

Hi William, backyard compost bins do not kill weed seeds. The temps do get hot enough but not consistently through the entire pile (the sides). These bins do have more moving pieces and more to break over time, though I have not found the sun / brittle to be an issue.

[@SajidChowdhury-k9l]

Hey Pete, do we need to assess the weather forecast before using this method. As I reside in tropical region. what could be a feasible way of using coffee grounds

[@andinvlaew2497]

Wow this actually helps a lot thank you 😊

[@dancelife3440]

how can the worms get to the compost when its off the ground? is this soil as rich as the compost with the worms?

[@Jaredkprimalhealth]

Very cool, is the white paper a concern due to bleach?

[@compostingpete]

The bleach (chemicals) will all be decomposed through the process, the bigger issue would be inks. In an ideal situation I would use leaves instead of shred paper. As always additional types of materials benefit the overall compost just as if we were to eat a varied diet compared to a diet of only 2 item.

[@christiannepogie5937]

I am also trying to experiment on small scale for composting. Great video. Does it have to be black container? Thanks

[@compostingpete]

any container 80 gallons or bigger will work

[@alexengland-shinemercy]

Do you worry about the ink on the shredded paper? When you go get the coffee, do you leave a bucket with them for the day, or do you just pick up whatever they've got right then + there?

[@composterrecycler]

Great questions. For the most pure compost I would substitute leaves for the shredded paper. The inks would be the concern as some are a plastic polymer. I do put my faith in the decomposers up to a point (as they can break down oil, rubber, etc.). Microplastics are no fun but are inert. As to the coffee grounds yes I leave 5 gallon buckets with plastic snap on lids and then swap out with clean ones.

[@Mase2423]

So cool. I’d like to try this… I wonder if mine would turn out sooner if I did this on a smaller scale? Hmmm might have to try!

[@composterrecycler]

I think this could be complete in as quickly as 8 weeks. I forgot about it but that added more cure time :)

[@compostingpete]

Arielle, for batch composting you do need a large amount of mass to heat up (activate the bacteria) and to keep the bin warm. I have found 80 gallons is about the minimum size.

[@compticny3138]

We add shredded dried leaves and crushed egg shells to the coffee grinds. At planting time we mix them in with our soils for potting.

[@sjtube6198]

Are you adding any water during the weekly checks

[@compostingpete]

no water only 10 gallons of extra paper. Luckily we got the moisture right at the build and then additional through the weather.

[@pvmilk]

Always wondering the effect of those WHITE chemical when used as a compost in your plant.

[@composterrecycler]

this is a great question. The white is due to a bleaching paper process - typically chlorine dioxide. Chlorine is a micronutrient for plants and at the levels used the decomposers should handle this and neutralize into food. The bigger issue is making sure shred paper is clean of all plastic (credit cards, windows from envelopes, etc.). Also the inks are chemicals. My gut instinct is the Fungi, Bacteria, Invertibrates will turn these inks into usable food sources but if you want to be pure you can substitute dry leaves for the shred paper.

[@pvmilk]

Thank you for a reply. Have been using dry leave for the brown material and it worked great!

[@MegamnZero]

but isnt the ink on printed paper toxic? Not for the plants but for us?

[@John-pk8lr]

No expert and I won't attempt to speak on every piece of paper or cardboard ever produced. I highly suggest everybody does their own research. But the majority of ink is plant based dyes. Same for most glue in cardboard being rice/starch based. Composting breaks it down. It's a non issue. Same for modern pressure treated wood in gardens. There is no difference in measurable amounts of "toxins" in crops using PT wood compared to no PT. Most people unknowingly eat and drink far worse things on a daily basis.

[@alexluna9503]

Pete, could you post a link to this tumbling composter?

[@composterrecycler]

www.homedepot.com/p/Lifetime-80-Gal-Compost-Tumbler-60058/202458226

[@gurcsik]

Thanks for this useful info! Do you get any ammonia odor while it cooks? And if so do you remedy it or let it do it's thing?

[@tsmcbride06]

D.E.

[@epoxy]

So this is just 1:1 ratio by volume? Coffee to Paper/Cardboard?

[@nic.h]

Roughly, they did throw in some extra paper part way through though

[@greatsoldier]

I shud make my own 1000 gallon tumbler

[@MaryKane-qv5vz]

Is the bleached paper/ink a problem?

[@dorpus]

I've read that caffeine will prevent plants from growing. Have you used this stuff in your garden and did your plants grow in it?

[@rtaskyy]

I doubt theres much caffeine in there since it was mostly extracted in the brewing process

[@cheesefries7436]

The caffeine ends up in the coffee people drink.

[@DespiteMyself7]

What is the minimum amount of time you would allow this process? It seemed like it was getting close at 4 weeks out, then you jumped to 6 months. I have a 96gal tumbler that I am hoping to use to create as much volume as possible for newly made raised beds. Thanks!

[@composterrecycler]

Great question! Honestly I forgot about the compost during the winter and thus the longer cure period. 3 months is probably the quickest I would want to use the compost and I mostly use as a mulch so the soil (worm) organisms can further cure and bring the organic matter down into the soil to provide the nutrients for my plants while any chunky/woody (carbon) material remains above the soil surface level as I don't want that in the soil robbing nitrogen to decompose the carbon.

[@DespiteMyself7]

@@composterrecycler Thanks! I wound up sourcing a better variety of materials than I had anticipated, but the final batch still wound up being at least 30% coffee by volume. I have definitely smelled worse compost piles! 🤭

[@lovelessgarden60]

Should be finished in 1½ months, just give it 2. Easy

[@mllokie9075]

Yes I am looking at different ways of composting this seams great I do like tumblers but they all seem to have problems maybe it is keeping weights down

[@DespiteMyself7]

@@mllokie9075 The weight was definitely a problem. (We wound up leaving a batch in there all winter, and it wound up leaking tons of rain, so it tested as depleted. Tons of worms though, so we'll still use it.)

[@ranjanty]

Where do you get the plastic material to wrap your compost?

[@geraldschuler3882]

Do you turn that daily or when?

[@compostingpete]

I turned only when I check on it, which was every week or so for maybe 4 times and then it sat unturned for a while.

[@eigleenalegri2664]

Well done! And it is carbon sequestration

[@amysnipes4245]

Hi Pete, is there a recommended ratio? Thanks.

[@compostingpete]

That depends on the feedstock - this batch of compost was 50 gallons (paper/chaff) to 40 gallons coffee

[@tedscott1478]

It would compost down better with worms in there but does it get too hot for worms?

[@compostingpete]

The worms come once the temperature drops and they are part of the finishing process along with fungi and other invertebrate decomposers. Build it the worms will come.

[@bigguy5361]

I just started watching this guys videos.....he doesnt respond to comments?

[@compostingpete]

on it!

[@echognomecal6742]

Does anybody have a reliable source for finding out what cardboard is glued together with & if it's safe? I can't find a definitive answer. Thanks!

[@paulscott6998]

I’d like to do a ph test of that compost. Coffee has a ph of about 5.0. Thats acidic. Plants do best about 6.0-7.0. Once you establish what coffee grounds and cardboard makes in the ph, you can add something like baking soda or lime to get it in the right range. If the ph of that soil is 5.0 the plants won’t uptake the nutrients in the soil. Ph is important. Why not just use shredded cardboard and grass clippings? Throw in some kitchen produce scraps. If cardboard is too labor intensive, you can always use shredded leaves. Its become popular for coffee drinkers to add a couple pinches of baking soda to their coffee. It makes the taste smoother and helps people with acid stomach drink their coffee and avoid acid reflux.

[@cameronk544]

no need a compost starter?

[@camus83489]

i think you need more browns. like 20 buckets of paper

[@greatsoldier]

Where do you get paper shreddings from

[@ebradley2306]

I have a shredder and shred junk mail. You would be surprised how quickly that piles up. 😊

[@scastblu]

great food for rain worms they would turn it into gold worm cast very quickly

[@tsmcbride06]

Presently cooking chicken manure and saw dust now. Including kitchen scraps. Will be done in 3 months.

[@neva-surrender]

Where did you get this tumblr?

[@compostingpete]

try searching this: Lifetime Rotating Composter (80-Gallon). I am not a huge fan of tumbling units but they do serve a purpose.

[@thepervertedmonk2353]

So it has to get hot?

[@JWHealing]

I think "hot composting" is more of a need if there are suspected pathogens in the materials or, more commonly, weed seeds since the heat will kill the weed seeds. Also "cold composting" the alternative is more often used when there's no rush to get the compost.

[@thepervertedmonk2353]

@@JWHealing Ahh, good to hear. This was my line of thinking as well but i am no expert. Thanks for the insight! Ive been having success so far doing the 'cold'method but it most definetly gets warm toward themiddle and bottom

[@BELINC7]

The closest 80-gallon tumbler compost bin on Google is a 65 -gallon tumbler compost bin and looks like it is no longer available

[@compostingpete]

try searching this: Lifetime Rotating Composter (80-Gallon). I am not a huge fan of tumbling units but they do serve a purpose.

[@IrishSchaller]

Not sure using shredded paper that is bleached white is a good idea, you may well be putting chlorine into the ground!

[@cheesefries7436]

I wouldn't be using shredded printer paper.

[@charlesjensen3288]

There are 2 things I don"t like about Lifetime guarentees 1. The company isn't around anymore. 2. The Lifetime is a tricky word.. Lifetime of What? lifetime of the Unit might be far less than what you think..as in your lifetime. Example car shocks lifetime guarantee..( in fact is the life time of a shock prob 35000 miles) not as long as you own your car or you expire.

[@jasonault3511]

Lol. At beginning of video he said a month. 6 months later. What a joke

[@aussieallrounder6018]

Haha!! yep

[@bigguy5361]

have you seen this video? kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4rJnXSFf9-losU I would suggest adding liquid in the form of microbes rather than plain water!

[@ciocoflender007]

Do you worry about the ink on the shredded paper? You are not very bright.

[@compostingpete]

this is a great question. The white is due to a bleaching paper process - typically chlorine dioxide. Chlorine is a micronutrient for plants and at the levels used the decomposers should handle this and neutralize into food. The bigger issue is making sure shred paper is clean of all plastic (credit cards, windows from envelopes, etc.). Also the inks are chemicals. My gut instinct is the Fungi, Bacteria, Invertibrates will turn these inks into usable food sources but if you want to be pure you can substitute dry leaves for the shred paper. If you have additional information I would like to hear about it though I am wondering if you are the one lacking the smarts? 3 Reply

[@thepervertedmonk2353]

When you use paper is it all blank or does some have ink?

[@composterrecycler]

this is shred copy paper so yes ink. In an ideal situation I would use leaves or chaff or wood only sawdust or other natural carbon sources. I have discovered that coffee does indeed break down into compost on its own (see comment below. @audas